2. amps-preamps
  3. 1379041047

BRICASTI M1DAC DIRECT TO VAC PHI 300.1A OR...?

Hello all. As designers, we only occasionally do audio installations, so we're always looking for great advice. We're now budgeting one for a client, and can either provide the Bricasti M1 DAC feeding the VAC Phi 300.1a amp directly, with no preamp, or have the Bricasti run through the VAC Renaissance MK III preamp and VAC Phi 200 amp. We've heard a couple of these items separately, so know their quality, but were wondering if any of you more experienced out there might have some particular insight. The volume control of the Bricasti does seem better able than many other DACs to fend for itself without a preamp, but any thoughts would be much appreciated. This particular room is small, with Joseph Audio Perspective speakers. Thanks in advance.
liszt458
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 


List458 hi, go direct (M1 to Vac) for the most transparent/dynamic sound.

Your dac from it's se outputs has 2v output at a very nice low 29ohms output impedance, this is better than most preamps have to drive a poweramp direct with.

Your amp (which is a poweramp with passive volume control on the input), has 36db of gain on it's se inputs, so your dac has more than enough output voltage to drive it into clipping.
But I would get the passive volume control on it taken out of the circuit, so it is then a true poweramp, so the output of the Bricasti is not seeing the passive volume control.

Cheers George
knghifi
1,668 posts
 
I find that unless the pre-amp is of exceptionally good quality the sound suffers vs using a DAC with a quality digital volume control.
No big surprise.
bengalfinch
3 posts
 
i drived my MBL9007 stereo mode directly from bricastiM1 for around 10 month, then added Marklevension No.326S... wow. even in single ended i was surprised that a pree is a must. then i switched to Monoblock by adding another 9007. i didn't try for bricasti"s Balanced output directly to my mbl mono block directly, as the sound difference was so big with no free and pree. then lately i add mbl 5011 pee to push my MBL9007 to the limit. PLEASE get a pree amp on your rig and it should be matched with power amp. don't experiment too much, its sometime made you ended up with no where. my No326S is sitting idle now, as its offset and gain is bit complicated to me. my speaker is Contour-S5.4, cable cardas/Wireworld.

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